At the end of a very long and stressful day, we all long to have a good night’s rest. However, due to the pandemic and the uncertainty of the times we are living in, restlessness is a very common symptom. Getting enough sleep is imperative for our health. It is commonly known that we should be getting an average of 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Most adults don’t reach that target, and the effects on our health are devastating.
If you’re a parent, you will understand the importance of your child getting enough sleep so that they are able to develop and grow. The need for sleep doesn’t decrease as we get older, and we’re just not getting enough of it.
Whether we stay up later due to finishing work late, or wanting time to ourselves after putting the children to bed, it can soon be after midnight before we, ourselves, get to bed only to be up again early the next morning for your next round of the next day.
So, what are the reasons we should be prioritizing sleep over everything right now?
Here are some of the effects a lack of sleep can have, as well as what we can be doing to get into a better sleep routine.
Improved immunity
During the pandemic, it is now more important than ever to make sure that our bodies are in tiptop order to fight off infection and diseases.
We cannot avoid getting sick all together but we can help to improve our immune systems.
One way for this to happen is to ensure you get enough sleep. White blood cells are used to fight infection and bacteria when they enter into your bloodstream. Tiredness can impact the effectiveness of your white blood cells. One of the main reasons is down to the proteins your body uses to deal with inflammation and infection. So when you don’t get enough rest and sleep, there are fewer of them because your system has had much less time to deal with them.
By increasing the amount of sleep you get as well as improving the quality you are helping to improve your immunity, and your body is power to fight illnesses.
Better focus
Let’s face it, we’ve all been in a position where we’ve had to go to work after a really bad night’s sleep. Even if we are working from home, the need for sleep in order to focus on your work day is still, if not more, important.
Working in an office alongside people, you are likely to be able to feed off their energy to get you through the day. However, at home, you don’t have that same ability to do that. Working from home can lead you into a trap of counter-productivity. Especially if you work close by to where you sleep, and then up needing to take naps throughout the day. While naps themselves are not bad things to take, doing so throughout your workday could impact on your work performance, and leave your management asking questions as to why you are not doing as much as you should be throughout the day.
Getting enough sleep will improve your concentration and focus meaning that your evenings will be free to do the things you want to do in order to relax and unwind before starting the next day. Stress is also something that impacts on your sleep, but on the reverse, being tired can also increase your stress levels. It is therefore very important to break the vicious cycle. Do what you can to get enough sleep.
How to get enough sleep
One of the best ways to get enough sleep is to get yourself into a good evening routine. Make sure you don’t eat too soon before going to bed, as a full stomach can make it difficult to fall asleep. Practice an evening self care routine such as doing your skincare, reading a book, or taking supplements such as CBD for sleep formulations.
Make sure that you have everything in place for you to be able to go to bed easily. Paragraph this could be keeping your sleepwear underneath your pillow, making sure to have a glass of water on your nightstand in case you get thirsty throughout the night, and having your clothes ready for the next morning.
Do things to unwind such as yoga or stretches which will help you to calm down and get your body ready for sleep.
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